Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 29/09/2026I wrote in the introduction to my PhD thesis that viral movement proteins *open* plasmodesmata... but... what if viral movement proteins induced formation of new plasmodesmata... that might also increase trafficking between cells... 🤔 ? 181
Reposted by Christine FaulknerSebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him @samwalds.bsky.social · 23/09/2026This has originally developed out of a thought along the lines of: "What can you do if you only manage to get weak fluorescence signals?" A short explaining thread 🧵 24324
Reposted by Christine FaulknerAnnalisa Bellandi @annalisabellandi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Is your reporter dim or silenced, and you did not think about introns? Think again! 032
Reposted by Christine FaulknerMax Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research @mpipz.bsky.social · 18/08/2026🔬Big news🥳 We’re excited to welcome Prof. Dr. Rosa Lozano-Durán as new Director and head of the Department of Plant Virology @mpipz.bsky.social Her research focuses on how plant viruses interact with their hosts. 🎉Welcome to MPIPZ, Rosa 🌿🌱 www.mpipz.mpg.de/5842514/loza...mpipz.mpg.deThe Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research welcomes Prof. Dr. Rosa Lozano-Durán as new director 620868
Reposted by Christine FaulknerCIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies @cibss.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Join us for the next 📢 #CIBSS Seminar! 🗓 21 Jul 2026 | 12:00–13:00 👉 Prof. Dr. Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social (John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK @johninnescentre.bsky.social) 📍 BIO II/III, KS 00 009, Schänzlestr. 1 🔗More info: kurzlinks.de/fkvz #Seminar #PlantScience 0155
Reposted by Christine FaulknerPlantae.org @plantaeofficial.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Plant Science Research Weekly -- Closing the gates: Plasmodesmal closure triggers stress responses (EMBO Reports) @pdchristine.bsky.social (Summary by Priyanka Babuta) buff.ly/mPXYRPW #PlantaePSRWbuff.lyClosing the gates: Plasmodesmal closure triggers stress responses | PlantaePlasmodesmata are membrane-lined bridges between adjacent plant cells that control the exchange of signaling molecules and nutrients between neighbouring cells. Biotic stress is known to cause the… 033
Reposted by Christine FaulknerMary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 26/06/2026PSRW June 26 plantae.org/plant-scienc... (3/3) Cryo-EM of moss plasmodesmata; What happens after plasmodesmata close?; MAPK signaling in potato stress tolerance; Wall softening is key to snapping the Venus trap closed @madic.bsky.social @pdchristine.bsky.social @alepanda.bsky.social 021
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 18/06/2026VACANCY - Group Leader in Fundamental Biology of Legumes Closing date: 1 September 2026 Salary: competitive Contract: six-year tenure track or direct appointment, depending on experience Apply now: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/gr... 03053
Reposted by Christine FaulknerPhil Carella @philcarella.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Check out our latest pre-print on the evolution of TIR activity/signalling: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.org 13313
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Emma Turley started her PhD expecting the effector ChEC108 would aid Colletotrichum establish infection, but she instead discovered that when it makes it's way to plasmodesmata it's bound by host HIPP6, triggering PD closure and impeding infection. #PlantScience 14116
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 18/05/2026An exciting opportunity to join Dr Schreier's new group as a postdoctoral researcher is open for applications until 15 June 2026: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/po...jic.ac.ukPostdoctoral Researcher | John Innes CentreAn exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the newly starting Schreier group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of photosynthesis… 01119
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 18/05/2026NEWS - New group leader to shed light on supercharged photosynthesis We are pleased to announce that Dr Tina Schreier will join the John Innes Centre as a tenure-track Group Leader in July 2026: www.jic.ac.uk/news/new-gro... 87016
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 13/05/2026Plasmodesmal closure triggers stress responses! Turns out cells are generally better off with connections to their neighbours. This manuscript represents a decade-long team collaboration, with heroic effort from Estee Tee to lead it over the line! #PlantScience link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comPlasmodesmal closure elicits stress responses - EMBO ReportsPlant cells are connected to their neighbors via plasmodesmata facilitating the exchange of nutrients and signaling molecules. During immune responses, plasmodesmata close, but how this contributes to... 06428
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 08/04/2026We are devastated to announce that our colleague and friend Professor Philippa Borrill died over the Easter weekend following a rare immune system disorder (HLH). She was a fantastic scientist, collaborator and mentor, and a close friend to many: www.jic.ac.uk/news/profess... 82930
Reposted by Christine FaulknerPablo J. Sáez @pjsaez.bsky.social · 16/03/2026This is why we love #CalciumSignaling Look how mechanical damage triggers long range Ca2+ waves in this plant !! By @annalisabellandi.bsky.social, who is now around here ;) Full www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... @science.org #microscopy #cell #mechanobiology 🧪🔬 319860
Reposted by Christine FaulknerThe Sainsbury Laboratory @thesainsburylab.bsky.social · 23/01/2026Join us in Norwich this July for the TSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions! ☀️🌱🧬 Discuss the latest approaches & discoveries in plant health with international and local speakers. ⏰ APPLY by 30 March '26 New keynote speakers ⬇️tsl.ac.ukTSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions, 20th – 31st July…Inviting Early Career Researchers to join international experts in discussing the latest approaches and discoveries in Plant-Microbe Interactions … 078
Reposted by Christine FaulknerPlant & Cell Physiology @plantcellphysiol.bsky.social · 26/01/2026📣Special Issue - call for papers📣 ‘Plant Vascular Biology: Functional Design for Transport and Signaling’🌱 Organising Editors: Koh Aoki, Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social, Yrjö Helariutta, Yuki Kondo & Misato Ohtani 📝More info & contact: academic.oup.com/pcp/pages/Sp... #PlantScienceacademic.oup.comSpecial ListPlant & Cell Physiology publishes several special issues each year that cover a wide range of research topics in the plant sciences. Special issues are 056
Reposted by Christine FaulknerThe Sainsbury Laboratory @thesainsburylab.bsky.social · 14/01/2026Join us in Norwich this July for the TSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions! ☀️🌱🧬 Discuss the latest approaches & discoveries in plant health with international keynote and local speakers. APPLY by 30 March '26 ⬇️ Click link for more info www.tsl.ac.uk/tsl-summer-c...tsl.ac.ukTSL Summer Conference in Plant-Microbe Interactions, 20th – 31st July…Inviting Early Career Researchers to join international experts in discussing the latest approaches and discoveries in Plant-Microbe Interactions … 12930
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 22/12/2025We're looking for a postdoc to join us in trying to map the routes by which different signals travel through plants and identify what information they carry. Link👇or get in touch! @johninnescentre.bsky.social #PlantSciJobs www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/po...jic.ac.ukPostdoctoral Researcher (Faulkner Group) | John Innes CentreAn exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Faulkner Group at the John Innes Centre, working on cutting-edge science in the field of Cell & Developmental Biology. 03632
Reposted by Christine FaulknerChristine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 15/12/2025We have a PhD studentship available for a student who wants to engineer immune responses by tinkering with the connectivity between cells. Based at JIC, collaboration with the Ezer lab, deadline 19th Jan, UK students only. Get in touch for more info! #PlantSciJobs www.findaphd.com/phds/project...findaphd.comEngineering plant immune responses (Plant BioDesign JIC project) at University of York on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Engineering plant immune responses (Plant BioDesign JIC project) at University of York, listed on FindAPhD.com 01516
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 15/12/2025We have a PhD studentship available for a student who wants to engineer immune responses by tinkering with the connectivity between cells. Based at JIC, collaboration with the Ezer lab, deadline 19th Jan, UK students only. Get in touch for more info! #PlantSciJobs www.findaphd.com/phds/project...findaphd.comEngineering plant immune responses (Plant BioDesign JIC project) at University of York on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Engineering plant immune responses (Plant BioDesign JIC project) at University of York, listed on FindAPhD.com 01516
Reposted by Christine FaulknerKatherine Denby 🌱🥬 @katherinedenby.bsky.social · 27/11/2025Very excited to advertise 15 plant engineering biology PhD projects @biologyatyork.bsky.social @camplantsci.bsky.social @slcuplants.bsky.social @johninnescentre.bsky.social & University of Bristol. 🪴 🥬 🔧 🧬 Come join this new Plant BioDesign community! www.findaphd.com/phds/?Keywor... 23739
Reposted by Christine FaulknerBiochemical Society @biochemsoc.bsky.social · 22/10/2025Our Plant Proteins meeting has begun! Starting the day with his 2025 Early Career Research Award Lecture, Dr Tatsuya Nobori discussed the development of PHYTOMap, a novel method for multiplexed single-cell 3D spatial gene expression analysis in whole-mount plant tissues. 0127
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 20/10/2025You can ask my students about how annoying the fist pumping and/or welling up after their conference talks gets. 😬 1425
Reposted by Christine FaulknerThe Royal Society @royalsociety.org · 14/10/2025Today for #AdaLovelaceDay, which celebrates the achievements of women in STEM, read about the 10 most influential women in British science history, as chosen by leading female scientists: #WomenInSTEM royalsociety.org/about-us/who... 15618
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 14/10/2025New pre-print from the team! The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses. Have a read! #PlantScience @johninnescentre.bsky.social 08155
Reposted by Christine FaulknerNikolai Adamski @nikolaiadamski.bsky.social · 12/10/2025New #PhD opportunity in the Uauy lab @johninnescentre.bsky.social. Can we increase grain number in wheat by studying genes controlling organ identity? #wheat #spikelet #development biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/ide...biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.ukIdentity matters: understanding spike architecture to increase grain number in wheat (UAUY_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training PartnershipWheat provides 20% of the calories and protein consumed by humans. The world population will reach 9 billion by 2050, which requires food production to more than double. Although plant breeding has… 01714
Reposted by Christine FaulknerNick Talbot @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social · 12/10/2025New PhD opportunity in my group @thesainsburylab.bsky.social through the BBSRC NRP DTP Programme - see details of host to apply below biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.ukVanishing Virulence: Investigating pathogenicity loss in a plant pathogenic fungus (TALBOT_T26DTP) | Doctoral Training PartnershipWhat makes a plant killer lose its edge? This project will investigate why fungal pathogens lose virulence when they are grown in laboratory culture away from their host plant. Use cutting-edge… 04144
Reposted by Christine FaulknerSusan Schlimpert @s-lab.bsky.social · 13/10/2025We have a PhD opportunity available in our group @johninnescentre.bsky.social through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership. Help us uncover the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs. Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.ukBeyond Immunity: Uncovering the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs (SCHLIMPERT_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training PartnershipJoin us in exploring the hidden functions of ancient immune proteins in bacteria. Bacteria, like plants and animals, have evolved sophisticated systems to detect and respond to threats. 03140
Reposted by Christine FaulknerPhil Carella @philcarella.bsky.social · 12/10/2025New opportunity to undertake a PhD in my group at the John Innes Centre - if you’re interested in plant immunity and evolution check out the link!biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.ukUnderstanding Host Compatibility in the Marchantia-Phytophthora System (CARELLA_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training PartnershipThe fossil record demonstrates that filamentous microbes invaded ancient plant cells with intracellular hyphal structures over 450 million years ago. To this day, a rich diversity of extant land plant... 15170
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 12/10/2025We have a project available for 2026 NRP Doctoral Training Partnership entry (i.e. PhD studentship opportunity!) How do cells communicate when it's hot? Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.ukHow do cells communicate when it’s hot? (FAULKNER_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training PartnershipPlant cells are connected to their neighbours via ‘tubes’ called plasmodesmata, creating an interconnected cytoplasm that joins cells within and between tissues and organs. 14953
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 08/10/2025Applications are now OPEN for the JIF Rotation PhD Programme This prestigious 4-year #PhD programme trains graduate students in Plant and Microbial Sciences at the JIC, @thesainsburylab.bsky.social and @earlhaminst.bsky.social. 🗓️ Closing date - 13 November 2025 www.jic.ac.uk/training-car...jic.ac.ukRotation biology PhDs | John Innes CentrePrestigious studentships, for entry in October 2022, this multi-disciplinary PhD programme includes; plant science, microbiology, biological chemistry, applied mathematics… 02127
Reposted by Christine FaulknerOxford Biology @biology.ox.ac.uk · 15/09/2025Oxford Biology is growing 📢 We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in: 🌱 Plant Sciences 🦉 Animal Behaviour 🔬 Molecular Cell Biology 3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology. Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7 Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3 07189
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 10/09/2025EVENT - Calling all teachers, A-level science classes and colleges! Registration is now open for the NBI Accessible Science Talks 2025 🗓️ Tuesday 7 October 2025 💻 Register here: jic.link/NBIAST2025 2813
Reposted by Christine FaulknerMarc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 02/09/2025This is a fantastic talk by Chris Hawes @nhm-london.bsky.social. He speaks about #PlantMicroscopy in particular, but also the History of #Microscopy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAFZ... Have a look at this Obituary of Chris, too: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #PlantScienceyoutube.com'Leaves & Lasers' With Professor Chris Hawes | Nature Live Talk - Natural History MuseumYouTube video by Oxford Brookes Health & Life Sciences 0206
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 22/08/2025Yesterday I talked* science with modellers, mathematicians, biochemists, cell biologists and geneticists. Sound like your kind of place? Join us! Applications for a tenure-track or tenured Group Leader ar JIC close Monday. (*I love chatting - if you come to JIC I *will* stop you in the corridor) 02313
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 04/08/2025 **GROUP LEADER VACANCY** Discovery Plant Sciences Got burning questions about how plants grow and respond to their environment? So do we. Come join us! #johninnescentre #plantscijobs 01217
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 28/07/2025So exciting to see greater resoluton of features long hinted at - another leap in our understanding of these enigmatic structures! #Plasmodesmata 1124
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 24/07/2025JIC GROUP LEADER VACANCY We're looking for interests in areas including, but not limited to, growth and development, environmental and organism interactions, physiology, signalling and molecular processes, taking quantitative cell biological, genetic, biochemical and modelling approaches. 0169
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 19/07/2025VACANCY Optical Microscopy Specialist Come work alongside the plant and microbial scientists at JIC and help us explore the biological frontier at the tissue, cell and subcellular scale! 01923
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 18/07/2025Exciting times to be at @johninnescentre.bsky.social ! www.jic.ac.uk/press-releas...jic.ac.ukMajor funding boost to bring world leading researchers to the John Innes Centre | John Innes CentreThe John Innes Centre has been awarded an equal share of the new £54 million Global Talent Fund, to attract and support leading researchers and their teams to relocate to the UK. The new Global Talent... 05327
Reposted by Christine FaulknerJohn Innes Centre @johninnescentre.bsky.social · 17/07/2025We’re pleased to announce two new vacancies for senior roles at our institute: Group Leader in Discovery Plant Sciences: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/gr... 🗓️ Closes 25 August Independent Fellowship in Plant-Associated Microbial Interactions: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/in... 🗓️ Closes 5 September 35174
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 16/07/2025GROUP LEADER VACANCY JIC is recruiting a Group Leader in Discovery Plant Sciences. If you think your research would synergise and thrive at JIC, please apply. www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/gr...jic.ac.ukGroup Leader in Discovery Plant Sciences | John Innes CentreThe John Innes Centre (JIC) seeks a visionary Group Leader to lead research on Discovery Plant Science. 16689
Reposted by Christine FaulknerPlantEvolution 🌱🌾 @plantevolution.bsky.social · 17/06/2025Must read for all who use Nicotiana benthamiana as a platform: “Causes and consequences of experimental variation in Nicotiana benthamiana transient expression” #plantscience www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 09559
Reposted by Christine FaulknerNature Plants @natplants.nature.com · 23/04/2025Now with a Research Briefing: "Current RNA-seq evidence of mRNA mobility is largely due to noise in the data" rdcu.be/eiWOU 086
Reposted by Christine FaulknerTina Schreier @tinaschreier.bsky.social · 22/04/2025🌿 Excited to share our latest preprint! We tracked how plasmodesmata numbers evolved across the path from C₃ → C₄ photosynthesis in Flaveria - and found a stepwise increase in cell-to-cell connectivity. Thoughts or feedback are most welcome 😊 #PlantScience 35424
Christine Faulkner @pdchristine.bsky.social · 23/04/2025An important consequence of the analysis by Paajanen et al is that the 'cell-to-cell mobile RNA' user-defined description listed under Gene Ontology by TAIR is a classification based on flawed analyses. Be careful! #PlantScience 12312
Reposted by Christine FaulknerSteffen Ostendorp @steffenostendorp.bsky.social · 16/04/2025That is a huuuge deal! That might change the view on what a mobile RNA is. Congrats to the authors! www.nature.com/articles/s41... @uni-hamburg.de @johninnescentre.bsky.socialnature.comRe-analysis of mobile mRNA datasets raises questions about the extent of long-distance mRNA communication - Nature PlantsThis study reveals that a substantial number of transcripts that are currently annotated as graft-mobile lack statistical support from available RNA-seq data. 052
